I was willing to give Richard the benefit of the doubt at first but if this isn’t the ultimate “Lipstick on a Pig” I don’t know what is. To say the SC auction was a success is just a little too much. Based on the article posted in another link this sounds anything but successful.
I was really excited about the opportunities that Trademark was selling but it’s been almost a year now and all we have is one auction that has absolutely nothing to do with an Area Partnership and zero communication about the direction that the original Area Partnership idea is going.
Anyone still holding out hope is just doing that, holding out hope for nothing. Let’s not fool ourselves, this thing is dead or on hold at this point. No Hedge Fund money is going into Real Estate right now, so I suspect the funds Richard was counting on has dried up. Hedge Funds will not touch real estate with a 10 foot pole until there is a glimmer of hope that he market will turn. Until then, keep holding out hope if you want to waste your time. To put it Richards own words it’s time to “save the drama for your mama” and for all of us giving him the benefit of the doubt, it’s time to move on.
Well said MBrown. I'd still like to see Trademark try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I think it would make great TV.
I am wondering though: If Davis had honored his original commitments, would the Area Partnership concept have ever worked? What do you think?
We may never know. But I cant help also wonder whether things would have gone better for everyone had Richard thought of us (those of us that travelled to SC) as a resource, rather than some sort of burden.
As you know, instead of reaching out for help, Trademark closed ranks, circled the wagons, cut off all communication, and as a direct result, only 30 or so people showed up to his ill-conceived and poorly planned "liquidation sensation". I think it proves that Richard squandered all of the "good will" he garnered last July.
No doubt he will survive, personally. But, query whether Trademark can rebound the failure to follow the commitments it made last July, that is, if Trademark ever decides to try to go national in the future.
On the other hand, maybe there was nothing that could have been done. Maybe Richard's whole plan hinged on TLC picking up the show. Maybe they passed. Clearly, Richard is too proud to tell.
As I said before, I'm not holding out hope. I have moved on. But I'm going to continue to keep an eye on Trademark. I try to learn from my mistakes. So. I'll keep a link to this forum on my desktop and until the link fails to work. I hope we can all learn a little something from this experience.
Hello All, I was there. I listened, got excitied, was ready to do what EVER it took. Now sadly it seems for whatever reasons this "plan" has and or will be drasticly changed or even dropped. I have no problem with Richard adjusting things, no problem with limited emails and updates, but NO emails, NO info, NO nothing is really irratating. I think Richard had/has excellent ideas and business model, it seems to have worked for him. I just wish we would have got some info, keep us updated as to his thoughts and plan. If markets changed so be it. All along he indicated the markets getting worse was a benefit!.....But this lack of ANY comunications between those who went to hear him is just sad. I am a business owner, I was willing to put forth all my efforts in this new and exciting business. I am sure in a few years we will hear how people made millions off this market. I think if the plan is dead, maybe he should give classes and teach exactly how he developed his real estate company..... Then let people buy or lease the name etc..... or not. I just think leaving all the people who attended with NO information even as to what happend is , well just sad. Just my 2 cents.
